Wisconsin Basketball Red-White Scrimmage Takeaways and Game Notebook
Team Red defeated Team White 64-43 as John Blackwell led all scorers with 13 points
If you made the trip to the Kohl Center yesterday, you saw Team Red defeat Team White in the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s annual intra-squad scrimmage. If you did not make the pilgrimage, fortunately for you, I have your big takeaways from the afternoon ready.
Free for everyone, are my big takeaways from the afternoon. Premium subscribers get my more detailed notebook at the bottom of this post, plus audio from head coach Greg Gard and a standout performer from each team. That audio will be included at the end of today’s ‘Sconnie Six Pack podcast, which you can find in your email or wherever you listen to podcasts later this afternoon.
Wisconsin Basketball Red-White Scrimmage: Big Takeaways from Defensive Struggle
Madison, WI - Sunday afternoon basketball became a lopsided affair in the second half of the annual Wisconsin basketball Red-White Scrimmage. Team Red outscored Team White by 13 in the final 20 minutes to walk away with a 64-43 victory.
As indicated by the final score, it was an afternoon dominated mainly by defense. Red shot 45.9% from the floor and 35% on threes, while White struggled mightily. The White squad connected on only 32.6% of its 46 shots and made a mere five of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc.
Wisconsin Basketball Team Red Defends Paint in Intra-Squad Scrimmage
Badgers head coach Greg Gard has long emphasized post-scoring and post-defense. When asked on Sunday how he evaluated his point guards' play, he immediately mentioned facilitating play on the interior, saying, " You look at which team touched the post the most."
In this case, Team Red, led by point guard Kamari McGee, outscored White 36-14 in the paint.
As guard Max Klesmit said for Team White, "It's also easier if you got Steven Crowl down there," defending the paint and providing a dominating presence on offense. Klesmit did not absolve his squad of responsibility for the disparity in interior scoring though.
The Neenah, Wisconsin native mentioned his teams need to "continue to attack the front of the rim" and that they "probably could have done a better job feeding our '4s' and '5s."
With shots not falling for Team White, they certainly did not attack the rim how they would have needed to. As a team that made only 25% of its three-pointers, White needed more interior scoring. Klesmit, whose nine three-point attempts would be the second-most he has ever attempted in a game in a Wisconsin basketball uniform, even admitted, "I know I probably put up a good amount of threes."
Riccardo Greppi Does the Little Things in First Half of Wisconsin Basketball Scrimmage
After a few open practices, freshman center Riccardo Greppi had his best public performance in the Red-White Scrimmage. Klesmit, when asked what stood out to him on Sunday, remarked that the Lecco, Italy native is "finally finding his way."
Although Greppi only added a modest two points, two rebounds, and three assists in 22 minutes, he did several little things well on the court - especially in the first half.
The six-foot-ten-inch Greppi held his own defending the much more experienced Steven Crowl. Whether jostling for position in the low post or defending the rim with some help from sophomore Nolan Winter, Greppi showed he would not simply be outclassed in the Big Ten.
Offensively, Greppi can be a playmaker. In earlier preseason practices, it appeared Greppi sometimes struggled to position himself on ball screens. That was no problem on Sunday. In one possession, the Team Verona product set a perfectly placed high ball screen for freshman guard Daniel Freitag. As a result, Freitag got free of his defender, Jack Janicki, and drained a mid-range bucket.
Not long afterward, Greppi executed a high-low action with his frontcourt partner, Winter. From just beyond the three-point line at the top of the key, Greppi tallied an assist by feeding Winter down low. On the next possession, Greppi ran back on defense and blocked a layup attempt by McGee.
Although Greppi appeared a bit winded in the second half, especially just before he was subbed out of the lineup, he showed flashes in the first half that should inspire confidence in himself.
Below is my full notebook from the scrimmage for paid subscribers.
If you’re considering upgrading your subscription, now is the time. Tomorrow, I will attend Wisconsin’s final pre-season practice open to the media. A meager $5/month gets you access to my full notebook from Wisconsin’s open practices, audio from exclusive interviews, and a premium subscribers-only chat.
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